Vacaville runner has bird's eye view of Boston terror attack

Vacaville resident Cheyne Inman knew his trip would be memorable, never imagining the tragedy that would make it unforgettable.

But as double explosions along the route of Monday's Boston Marathon sent plumes of smoke floating towards Inman's hotel and hundreds of people scattering from it, he began to realize that he was bearing witness to something unspeakable with far-reaching impacts.

Inman had finished the marathon in 2 hours, 31 minutes and then went on to support fellow teammates with the Sacramento Running Association. Just after the four-hour mark he heard loud booms from his nearby 20-plus-floor room at the Marriott hotel.

"There were two explosions. They were very loud," he said. The noises came within seconds of one another and seemed to rock the room. Being a first-timer to the race and to the city, Inman thought they were part of a city-wide celebration.

"I looked out the window and I saw smoke. And then we see people sprinting away," he recalled.

Confused, he clicked on the TV. He saw news reports of the bombings and mayhem that, at last count, had killed three and wounded hundreds. Of the dead, one victim was said to be an 8-year-old. By Monday night, no one had claimed responsibility for what President Barack Obama called an act of terrorism.

About 45 minutes after the initial explosions, Inman heard a third. He remained glued to TV reports to stay informed on the situation and, when cell service was working, he called home to assure loved ones that he was OK.

"We can't go outside," he said, explaining that he and other hotel guests were confined indefinitely to the Marriott for safety reasons.

Peering outside his window, he described the scene.

"A bunch of ambulances are lined up outside," he said. "There's still law enforcement, ambulances and bomb squad-type vehicles."

Inman is scheduled to head home today, if all goes well.

"It all depends on what happens here," he said.

According to the Boston Marathon site, at least five Vacaville residents were scheduled to run the race. They included Inman, 27, Laurin E. Beckhusen, 65; Daniel B. Gabriel, 43; Kyle Kutsche, 27; and Jan Makowski, 55.

Reached by phone Monday night, Makowski said he had qualified for the race but couldn't participate because of an injury.

Another Solano resident, Cristina R. Ramirez Torres of Fairfield, 26, was also said to have run.

She's well, according to her friend, Marian Conning of Vacaville, who posted on The Reporter's Facebook page that "She's safe and OK -- she's my only personal connection to the Marathon this year. Don't even know whether she was able to finish the race, but thank God she's OK. Many are not."

Torres' Facebook page included a simple post assuring friends she was OK.

Other Facebook posters were thankful that their loved ones had safely finished the iconic run. Another was still waiting to hear.

At Fleet Feet in Vacaville, where many local runners buy their foot gear, staffers said they couldn't believe what had happened.

"We're shocked, definitely shocked," said Liz Roehrs, store manager.

The store TV had to be shut off because employees were becoming too emotional, she said, worried about all the runners.

"The good news is that everybody that we knew that was there is OK," she said. "Most of them were out of the area when it happened."

In a statement from the Boston Athletic Association, officials addressed the tragedy.

"Today is a sad day for the city of Boston, for the running community, and for all those who were here to enjoy the 117th running of the Boston Marathon. What was intended to be a day of joy and celebration quickly became a day in which running a marathon was of little importance," officials said. "We would like to thank the countless people from around the world who have reached out to support us today."